Valentin Brothers Plead Guilty in Capitol Riot

Matthew and Andrew Valentin, brothers from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, have pleaded guilty to felony charges related to their involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which disrupted the certification of the 2020 electoral votes. Matthew, 31, admitted to two counts of assaulting officers, while 26-year-old Andrew pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting officers and another involving a deadly weapon. The brothers were identified in videos walking from the Washington Monument to the Capitol, where they climbed a media tower and later joined a crowd that pushed a barricade against police officers. During the chaos, Matthew sprayed a chemical irritant at the officers and attempted to take a police baton. Their sentencing is set for January 17, 2025, under the jurisdiction of U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. The FBI's investigation into the Capitol breach has led to over 1,500 individuals facing charges, with many linked to assaults on law enforcement.